Flare candle



1962 P. J. DICKEY 3,048,085

FLARE CANDLE Filed April 23, 1956 INVENTOR PAUL J. DICKEY United States Patent 0. n

3,048,085 FLARE CANDLE Paul J. Dickey, Sunland, Calif., assignor, by mesne asslgnments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Apr. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 580,148 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-1) This invention relates to visual illuminating devices and more specifically to a flare candle of the type adapted for expulsion from a gun or the like in which the candles are ignited and expelled from the flare device during the free flight of the device through the air.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved flare device suitable for launching from a gun in which the ignition thereof is achieved by electrical means as the device passes the muzzle of the gun and an inertia actuated shorting switch is opened by setback force concurrently therewith.

Another object is to provide a flare candle actuatable by electro-magnetic induction as the device is ejected from a gun and a normally closed inertial switch is actuated concurrently therewith by setback force in which means are provided for igniting and discharging from the device a plurality of candles in time delayed relation with respect to the discharge of the device from the gun.

Still further objects, advantages and improvements will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description taken in connection with the 'acompanying drawing on which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view partially in section and partially broken away of the device of the present invention according to a preferred embodiment thereof disposed within a FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view in section of the safety switch of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a circuit arrangement suitable for use with the device.

Referring now to the drawing for a more complete understanding of the invention and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof there is shown thereon a gun preferably of the pneumatic type and designated generally by the numeral having an inlet 11 at the breech thereof adapted for connection to a source of supply of compressed air whereby the charge within the gun may be suddenly discharged at will by admission of the compressed air thereto. Disposed about the muzzle of the gun is a coil of wire 12 having a pair of terminals 13 for connection to a source of electrical energy, the purpose of which will be more clearly apparent as the description proceeds. Disposed within the gun is the flare device of the present invention indicated generally by the numeral 14, the device'comprising a flare tube 15 composed of material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as aluminum within which is fitted at one end thereof an electrical insulating plug 16 which may be composed of any suitable material such, for example, as wood, Bakelite or the like, the plug being secured to the tube 15 in any convenient manner as by the annular recess 17 formed therein into which is forced a complementary annular portion of the tube substantially as shown.

Disposed eircumferentially about the trailing end of the plug 16 is an induction pickup coil 18 comprised of a plurality of turns of closely wound wire and adapted to generate by induction a voltage therein as the coil passes Within coil 12 during discharge of the device from the gun.

A bore 19 is disposed in the forward end of the plug andpreferably coaxial therewith within which is arranged 3,048,085 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 "ice an electroresponsive igniter or squib 21 of sufiicient sensitivity to be actuated by the voltage induced in coil 18 as the device leaves the gun. Disposed in substantial abutting relation with respect to the igniter is a pyrotechnic delay device indicated generally by the numeral 22 and ignitable by the igniter 21 whereby a propellant charge 23 is fired in time delayed relation with respect to the operation of the igniter.-

A plurality of candles 24 are disposed within-the tube 15 and adapted to be expelled therefrom by the propellant charge 23, each of the candles having a fuze or igniter train 25 whereby the candles are ignited concurrently with the expulsion thereof from tube 15.

There is also provided within the plug 16 a safety switch indicated generally by the numeral 26 and comprising a pair of contact members 27 and 28 secured thereto as by the screws 29 in overlapping relation with respect to a bore 31 formed within the plug. A contact element 32 comprising a metallic ball composed of heavy metal such as steel, for example, and preferably coated with a contact material such as silver or the like is disposed within the bore 31 and yieldably urged by the spring 33 into engagement with the contact members 27-28 substantially as shown. By this arrangement the contact members 27-28 are normally shorted by the movable contact element 32 until the contact element is disengaged therefrom by setback force as the device is fired from the gun.

The operation of the device will best be understood by reference to FIG. 3 on which is shown in diagrammatic form the circuit arrangement for firing the igniter 21 as the coil 18 moves quickly through coil 12 as the flare leaves the gun. The coil 12 is connected as by terminals 13 to a source of DC. power 34 when the switch 35 is closed. Movement of the coil 18 through the electromagnetic field set up by coil 12 causes current flow through the igniter 21 sufficient to actuate the igniter, the contact element 32 at this time having been moved against the force of spring 33 to open position by setback force.

By employing a safety switch 26 in the manner disclosed, there is no possibility of accidental or premature actuation of the detonator 2.1 by current induced in coil 18 by reason of the fact that the detonator is normally shorted by the safety switch until a setback force of sufficient-strength to disengage contact element 32 from contacts 2728 is applied thereto.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a gun for projecting a flare device, said gun having means for setting up a magnetic field adjacent to the muzzle thereof of predetermined flux density through which the flare device must pass, in combination, a flare device comprising a tube within which is disposed a plurality of flare candles in abutting end-to-end relation, an igniter train in each of said candles, a plug element closing the rear end of the tube and having an induction pickup coil disposed peripherally thereabout, an electrical primer carried by said plug element and operatively connected to said coil in such manner as to be operated thereby as the coil moves through said magnetic field, a normally closed inertia actuated switch connected across said primer thereby to provide a short circuit thereacross, said switch comprising a pair of contact elements and 2 spherical conducting mass movably disposed within 2 bore within said plug element parallel to the axis thereof and a coiled spring for normally maintaining the conducting mass in a forward position in engagement witl by said primer, and a propellant charge iguitable by 10 said delay element and disposed between said plug element and said igniter train in the rearmost of said candles for igniting the candles and causing the candles to be ejected from the device during free flight of the device 4 through the air in predetermined time delayed relation with respect to the actuation of said primer.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,132,631 Still Mar. 23, 1915 1,739,921 Schuler et al Dec. 17, 1929 2,459,687 Decker Jan. 18, 1946 2,555,384 'Watt June 5, 1951 2,655,867 Jordan Oct. 20, 1953 v FOREIGN PATENTS 578,153 Great Britain June 18, 1946 

